Cowboys came from all over; from Europe mostly English and Irish, but from the continent as well; from all over the U. S., some displaced by the Civil War, some from the crowded eastern cities, some working their way west, some from hard-scrabble farms, some escaping from possible prison time or worse. In the Southwest many were Hispanic, and there were also Blacks and American Indians.

Owens would be very familiar with the important German settlements in Texas, which still maintain their sangvereins; the Hispanic- Tejano culture in South Texas, and Cajuns who came from Louisiana to SE Texas.

Similarly, if one looks at the early days of country music, some of the best musicians were from the immigrant population.